Recent Posts

Welcome To Our Team!

It has been a busy year here at SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties already! With that busy year we had a need for more Sales & Marketing Representatives. After a long process of interviews we finally picked the two candidates that fit perfectly with our work family here at SERVPRO.

We want to give a warm welcome to Ethan Ponder, our newest SMR for SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount! Ethan has an extensive background in Sales & Insurance. His only characteristic is not selling though, he also has rental properties that he renovates in his past time so he already has great knowledge of our production process. We are excited to see what our future holds with Ethan being a part of our team.

We also want to give a warm welcome to Jeremy Scott, our newest SMR for SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, & Fayette! Jeremy has an extensive background in Marketing & Sells. He has managerial experience in his previous job so he is always prepared & technologically savvy. We are excited to see what the future holds with Jeremy being a part of our team.

Restoring Your Business After A Water Damage

Flooding and water damage events at Cullman/Blount Counties commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we’re dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large scale event, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility.

Restoring Commercial Properties Presents Unique Challenges

Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.

About SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties

SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

What Exactly Is Mold?

Have you ever noticed growth on the walls of your home & it prompted you to think, what exactly is mold? If you have, then we are here to help simplify that question and give you a better understanding.

Mold is made up of several different types of fungi that reproduce that can grow rapidly if not treated. Mold that is found in homes are traditionally a white or grayish color. It is especially common to find mold in bathrooms, which is usually green. Mold may grow in all different types of environments, but thrives in damp and warm environments.

Mold reproduces by forming microscopic spores. These spores can survive under much harsher conditions than mold. The spores move freely throughout the air until it lands on a surface that has excessive moisture on it. Once the spores land mold can begin to grow. In order for it to grow it needs to have oxygen and need to be in a space where the temperature can range from 40° to 100° Fahrenheit.

It is very important to make sure your home is mold free. If mold is present it can affect the health of you and your family. It can also damage or possibly destroy the drywall and wood in your home. If you think your home has mold, call SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties at 256-736-2036.

Why You Should Not Consider Water Damage A DIY Project

Oftentimes, homeowners don't realize the extent of the water damage in their home. Excess moisture is one thing, but damage from a flood, sewer backup or something else can be devastating to your health and your home in general. It doesn't take long for a situation like this to spiral out of control and leave you struggling to figure out what you are going to do to take care of it. The best thing you can do is turn to the help of a professional. Our team has all of the necessary tools to make sure your home is taken care of and the water damage is cleaned up properly.

Dirty water from sewage backups is loaded with deadly substances from parasites to chemical residues.

Bacteria, fungi and viruses thrive in contaminated fluids. They pose all sorts of health risks, such as hepatitis and salmonella.

It only takes 24 hours for mold to begin growing out of control and invading your space.

Even a small amount of water left undried could be a source of problems for your home.

Our team has all of the necessary tools and experience to come in and get your water damage taken care of and thoroughly cleaned up to prevent anyone from falling ill or mold setting in.

What To Do When The Pipes Freeze & Burst.

It is the season where we start to see a lot of water damages due to pipes that burst. The biggest mistake that leads to more costly damages is not acting promptly or correctly.

When you have realized that a pipe has burst in your home, follow these steps to minimize your damage and in the long run, save you money.

1.Stop The Water Flow

Turn off the water main as soon as you notice something is wrong. The potential water loss from busted pipes in your house can be as much as 106 gallons; that's two full baths an hour. Once water is off, make sure you drain the lines throughout the home.

2. Locate, Inspect, and Repair the Damage

Once the damage is inspected, you will determine if this is something that you can handle on your own or if you need to bring in a plumber.

3. Call The Professional Drying Company

Once the repair is made and no further damage will be made, call the professional water restoration company. Areas that have been soaked in water are susceptible to mold, mildew, and can cause your family unwanted illness.

Remember, the longer you wait to make these repairs the more damage will be caused and in turn, you will pay higher cost for restorations and getting your home back to normal.

When a fire ravages your business property, you may wonder how you will be able to repair all of the fire damage. Some Cullman/Blount County area commercial fire damages will result in a full loss, but others may only impact a small area of the property and business. Regardless of how large or small the fire was, you may need the property repaired as soon as possible so that operations can resume. Until this happens, you and your clients may be inconvenienced, and the business profit will decrease. With a few important steps, you can rectify commercial fire damage and get your operations back to normal as soon as possible.

Surveying the DamageAn important first step to take in the commercial fire damage restoration process is to survey the damage to your property. Through a quick overview of the damage, you will get a better idea of the scope of a repair project, and you can estimate how long it will take to get the damage repaired. Keep in mind that a fire often inflicts more damage than just the area affected by the flames. Smoke damage, for example, may spread throughout a property even when the fire was contained to a particular room of the building. Water damage incurred from the firefighters putting out the fire may also be present. Each of these types of damage will require a different overall repair process and may lengthen the overall restorative job.

Cleaning the PropertyClean the property and removing the ashes and soot are a high priority to limit damage and odors. In some cases, water extraction is necessary. Afterward, you will be able to determine other areas that may need to be cleaned. For example, carpeting or furnishings may require special professional cleaning techniques if they have been damaged by smoke or water.

Repairing the AreaWhile some areas impacted by the fire will need to be professionally cleaned, others will need to be repaired or replaced. For example, any charred areas that have been burned by the fire often will need to be entirely replaced and will not be salvageable. It can be difficult to determine which areas can be repaired or replaced and which can be cleaned, but a professional team of fire damage remediation professionals from SERVPRO can assist you in this area. We can inventory and document all salvageable and non-salvageable business items such as computers, copiers, furnishings, retail stock, and documents. Our team can also interact with your insurance provider to mitigate damages, costs, and your downtime.

If your business property has been affected by a fire, our team of fire damage specialists can help. As a locally owned company, we can respond quickly to your request for assistance with fire damage repair services. Contact SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties today at (256) 736-2036 for assistance.

SERVPRO Construction Is Residential & Commercial

Did you know that SERVPRO can help with all of your construction needs???

Often when our homes face a fire or water damage we are left with an abundance of issues that need to be faced. SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties has helped many in the community face all these problems in a "one stop shop". Below is the process typically followed for our customers who have construction needs after a fire or water damage.

3. Construction is needed once mitigation is complete. Instead of calling around for contractors to do each project, SERVPRO will handle the headache and work with your insurance company to provide the construction needs for your home or business.

We committed to helping our customers feel at ease through the stressful times of disaster by taking care of all their needs in one place!

The Many Faces Of Fire Damage

f your property in Cullman suffers from fire damage, you should talk to someone on our team. We are experts at minimizing current damage and keeping damage from increasing in severity. Even after a fire has been extinguished, its effects can continue to grow. We can stop that with state-of-the-art equipment.

Damage can be found even after small fires. These can happen anywhere in the home. They remain small when someone is present and can extinguish the fire before it can spread. The kitchen and bathroom are the most common, with the laundry room and garage coming in second. Bedrooms, living and dining rooms, and hallways can also have fires take place, but these areas are the least common. Patios are also prone to having fires, especially if outdoors cooking is done, or children experiment with a range of items, from fireworks to magnifying lenses

Fire damage can range from discolored concrete and natural rock outside to charred walls and scorched carpets inside. Drywall can suffer additional damage if water is heavily applied when there is a fire, although drywall should resist small, low-temperature fires. Paneling and wallpaper will burn, however, no matter what it is applied to as a covering. Our team members are creative in matching or updating, your pre-fire décor.

Kitchens can experience scorched countertops and cabinets, which need either repairing or replacing. If the cabinet doors are warped from the heat and then the cold from putting the fire out with either water or a fire extinguisher, they are typically replaced as needed. Then the remaining ones are cleaned and re-stained if needed. If floors have been soaked with water in the effort to extinguish the fire, we at SERVPRO are equipped, and experienced, in getting it dry quickly so that underlay and any support beams are not damaged

For fires in the garage and patio areas, we can quickly clean-up scorched concrete so that residues are not tracked into your home, as these can contain harmful substances that were once inert. Vinyl siding that has been damaged can also be repaired. Scorched and burned areas of grass can also be reseeded and started back on track. We can also create and provide an inventory list of damaged items, particularly, but not exclusively, for the garage area. We can list which items are damaged beyond repair, salvageable, or undetermined for insurance purposes.

If you've had a fire in your Cullman/Blount area home cause damage, don't try repairing the area yourself. You need to call us at SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties at (256) 736-2036. We’ll help you get your home’s beauty back on center stage and put the fire behind you.

SERVPRO is Ready When Storms Hit North America!

SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties specializes in storm and flood damage restoration. Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition. Our franchise was voted Storm Team Franchise of The Year for 2015. We are always willing & ready to travel anywhere to help out with large loss storm clean-up!

October 1st, 2016 two complete crews, our Production Manager, & our General Manager loaded up our Storm equipment in their vehicles and immediately headed to Georgia to help assist in the large loss clean-up that Hurricane Matthew created. We are so thankful for our amazing team that makes all of this possible & have such a desire to help assist those in need!

When dealing with large loss clean-up please remember that a fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams.

And Remember, We are Always Here to Help!!

Electrical Tips To Use In Your Office

Consumer electronic products are moreprevalent than ever. Research indicates thatthe average household owns more thantwenty-five consumer electronic products.With all of today’s technology, it can provechallenging to safely maintain power to allof our electronic devices. Electrical outletsare easy to overload and as a result, maybecome hazardous. While adding a power stripor extension cord seems like an easy solution toa lack of electrical outlets, the wiring in somebuildings often isn’t capable of supporting toomany high-powered electronic appliances.

Older office buildings and homes, in particular,often suffer from lack of electrical outlets. Thetemptation is to simply add a power strip or plugin an extension cord from across the room. Evenin newer office buildings and homes, it can be alltoo easy to overload a single outlet with power-hungry machines such as computers, printers,scanners and monitors.

When an employee or resident overloads anelectrical outlet, that means more current isrunning through the outlet than it can handle.This causes the outlet to overheat, which maylead to an electrical fire. According to a 2008National Fire Protection Association study,electrical distribution and lighting equipmentare involved in more than 24,000 home structurefires per year. These fires resulted in an average of 320 deaths per year and an estimated $700 million in property damage per year.1

If an electrical fire should occur, get safely awayfrom the fire and call your fire department. If youchoose to use an extinguisher on the fire, neverlet the fire get between you and a safe exit, andnever use water to extinguish an electrical fire. The risk of electrical shock is far too great. Class C fire extinguishers use a non-conductive extinguishing agent and should not cause electrical shock.

To help prevent this and other electrical hazards,refer to the list below (provided by ElectricalSafety Foundation International).

If you must use a power strip, use a name brandproduct from a reputable retailer.Low-quality or counterfeit power stripsmay contain wiring that isn’t adequate tocarry the load.

Place power strips where there is plentyof air circulation to disperse the heat.

Never attempt to plug grounded (three prong)cords into an ungrounded (two prong)outlet.

Do not bind, kink or knot electrical cords.

Should you encounter the aftermath of an electrical fire, call SERVPRO to help you get your life to normal again.